Secrets of District Two
by Paishunya
Summary: When a genetic experiment is chosen for the 86th annual Hunger Games, will she win? What happens when people find out about her secret?
1. My Story

This is hopefully going to be my first story I actually finish. This is based off a dream I had. It's… A bit interesting.

**The setting is Panem, District 2, 86****th**** Hunger Games. A fourteen-year-old girl named Max with a big secret. No, none of the other Flock will be in this. This is kinda my own twist. And I'm setting down District 2 as Medical Research, which I believe is generally accepted in most roleplays. Also, this is set as if Katniss didn't get chosen for the 75****th**** annual Hunger Games, and neither did Peeta. Just FYI.**

In District 2, all is peaceful. The people are going about their work. They are preparing new medicines so that our tributes can have what they need, and we can sell the medicines to other sponsors. I am hidden. Only a choice few even know of my existence.

I'm a nobody. An experiment. A genetic mistake, they call me.

I'm hidden in the secret facility below District 2. It's a place made for experimentation, with humans and animals.

Looks like the Hunger Games aren't the only cruelty these days.

I'm Max. I'm fourteen. I live in a dog crate underground. There's something a little different about me.

I'm part bird.

That's right. I have a fourteen-foot wingspan. My feathers are varying from brown to black to white. I only have feathers on my wings.

I'm part of a secret Panem government experiment. They graft animal DNA onto embryos and experiment on us.

I'm the only one who has survived.

I'm kinda a marvel in the Facility. I can fly, for one. I also have superspeed. I'm superstrong, and super light. I also can breathe underwater, which, let me tell you, can be incredibly useful.

My troubles have always been present. I just got used to them. But one day, they got worse.

One of the scientists walked up to my dog crate, which was much too small for my wings and my six-foot frame.

The scientist, a whitecoat, I call them, reaches his hand into my cage. I am pressed into the back wall. I know what he wants. The IV line in my wrist. I have it so they could take blood easier, since I am stubborn.

"Come on," the whitecoat says. "Don't make this harder than it has to be."

I've suddenly made up my mind. I whip out with my fist, punching the whitecoat square in the face. He doubles over, moaning and clutching his face. I do not see him reach for a button just under my cage as I climb out. I jump as an alarm begins to sound. I look in panic as the doors begin to slide shut. Kicking on my superspeed, I slide right in between one of the doors.

I stand up outside the doors. A carpeted lobby-sort of area sits in front of me. People scramble about. The alarms are going out, even out here.

I hear a cry. "There she is!" A man is pointing to me. Another whitecoat eases towards me. "Come on, Max. It's all right." I see a needle in his hand. I scramble away, running across the area towards the elevator.

As I reach the elevator, it opens, and another whitecoat steps out. I sprint towards a door, but another whitecoat stands in my way.

Finally, I am blinded by light. I look up. A skylight. I grin. I snap out my wings. I flap, flying up quickly, covering my head with my hands. I smash through the skylight.

I happily breathe in the fresh air I have never felt before. I kick on the superspeed, zooming through the sky. The alarms fade in the distance.

I land in a deserted alley. People mill around, preparing for the 86th annual Hunger Games. I'd heard of them, but my name has never been entered, since nobody knows about my existence.

I walk out of the alley. My wings are now tucked in, tight against my back. All that shows are the slits in my plain white t-shirt. I am sure I look abnormal, with my tattered t-shirt, messy hair, torn black shorts, old tennis shoes, and wild eyes set in a dirty face. I get a couple of odd looks as I head through the District.

I manage to stay hidden in alleys until night falls. Only then do I dare to creep out to find food.

As I'm turning a corner, a hand grabs me from behind. I screech, and a gag is tied around my mouth. I struggle, but fingers press into a pressure point on my neck. Then, I am slipping into unconsciousness.

I awake in a white room. The holding room of the Facility. My hands are tied behind my back, and my ankles are tied together.

A man walks in. I recognize him as one of the whitecoats. He smiles at me. "Enjoy your little trip, Max?"

"Lovely," I hiss. "Don't you have something better to do than hunt me down?"

"Ah, Max," the whitecoat sighs. "You have a much bigger purpose."

I look at him. "I just wish I were normal!" I growle.

"And you'll get that chance." He smiles. "Your name is entered one hundred times for the Reaping, so we scientists can have food."

I look at him, open mouthed. I cannot think of anything to say.

The whitecoat throws a dress at me. "Here," he says. "There's a bathroom through that door." He points to a door I hadn't noticed. "The Reaping is today."


	2. The Reaping

**In reply to Aniral-chan:**

**It's like, my own Max. She's not like the original Max.**

The man had untied by hands and ankles.

I walk through the door into the bathroom. The bathroom has a shower, with a ton of buttons. I go to shower, and press the buttons for conditioner and soap. Getting all the weeks of dirt off feels so amazing. I climb out, pressing the button for an air dry.

After drying, I walk over to the mirror. I put on the dress, smoothing it out. "It'll do." I am tempted to cut slits into the back. I comb through the drawers, but find nothing sharp enough to cut through the tough blue fabric.

I sigh. My wings are squished against my back. I pull them in tight as I could. If I was chosen, I do not want to reveal my secret, not yet.

After fixing myself up best I could with limited supplies, I walk out of the bathroom. I sit back down against one of the white walls of the room. I sigh, waiting.

After a few hours of boredom, a man comes in. He gestures to me, and I stand and walk out the door. As usual, a rope awaits. Another man ties my hands behind my back, and they take me out a door. We are in the lobby again. We walk across, then enter the elevator.

The elevator leads up to a building in District Two. I look around as we walk out. After a bit of walking through, I figure out this is the main building, where all the higher-ups of District Two stay. Paintings of various figures hang on the walls. It is a bit creepy, really. The eyes seem to stare down at me, mocking me.

We go out a back door. I sigh as I hear all the voices of the kids, the adults. I can hear Careers excitedly jabbering, and the quiet, hushed tones of those not worthy enough to be Careers. Despite being sheltered my whole life, I have managed to watch the Hunger Games, or at least listen to them. The whitecoats have a television rolled in every year, and I can hear it from my cage. I just hope I am lucky enough to be listening to it again this year, instead of participating in it myself.

The men escorting me push me towards the kids' section, pointing to my age group. I head towards the other fourteen-year-olds, and the men walk off.

I push into the crowd, receiving a few "Hey!"s and "Watch it!"s as I step on toes. I mumble "Sorry," and move on, pushing for a blank spot. I finally find one, next to a dark-haired boy. I smile at him.

"Hey," he says, his face solemn. He doesn't strike me as a Career, but I could always be wrong.

The boy turns to look at me, his face curious. "I've never seen you before," he says.

I pull my wings in tight. "Yeah," I mumble, scrambling for a backup lie. "I-I just am always in the back." _Bingo, Max,_ I think. "I'm Max." I hold out my hand.

"Chace," the boy says, shaking my hand. "May the odds be ever in your favor."

"I have low hopes for that," I mutter. "You as well," I say to Chace.

Chace turns away as the ceremony starts. A man is standing up on the steps of the main building, smiling. His blond hair glimmers in the afternoon sun. "Welcome!" he says, "to the District Two Reaping for the eighty-sixth annual Hunger Games!"

The Careers make themselves obvious; they whoop and holler, excited for the start.

Chace makes a motion for everyone to settle down. "Yes, yes, we are all very excited for the Hunger Games to begin. But first, we must choose our Tributes!" He walks over to the drawing area.

"First, the girls." I hold my breath. I can feel Chace's eyes on me. "Maximum Lisadeen!" I wrinkle my nose. Slowly, I push my way out of the crowd. Everyone is mumbling to themselves, shaking their heads. Even the Careers are silent, not bothering to volunteer for the girl no one has ever seen before. I walk up the steps quietly, and stand to look at the crowd.

Chace smiles at me. "Excellent, excellent," he says. He moves to the boys' drawing bowl. He pulls out a name. "Bradley Referrum!" A tall, dark boy moves from the back. He is smiling, excited. Muscles show underneath his Reaping outfit. Just what I need: A Career to kill.

Chace grins. "Yes, yes, these are your District Two tributes!" he cries. Bradley is smiling. I frown, looking across the crowd. In the back, the men that had escorted me are smiling. I hate their trust in me. I fear for my own life as Bradley and I are escorted away, to the Capitol.

**Sorry if some factual things about the process are wrong. It's been several months since I read the first book, and I haven't read any of the others yet.**


	3. Secrets

Another chapter? So fast! Insane, you say? Maybe. Just maybe.

We are quickly transported to the Capitol. Nobody comes to say goodbye to me. I am put into my own room. I marvel at the luxuries of the Capitol. The bed is soft, the room is large, the floor is clean. I sigh. Anything is better than a dog crate. I flop onto the bed, ready to nap, when a knock comes to my door.

I sigh, sitting up. "Yes?" I say.

The door opens. A beaming woman comes in. I am half-tempted to tell her to turn down her lights, her smile is blinding with her dazzlingly white teeth. She grins. "Hi, Maximum!" She puts out her hand. "I'm Savanie. I'll be your stylist!"

I put my hand into hers and shake. "Call me Max," I say. "I don't like being called Maximum." I try to smile, but I find I can't.

"Great!" she says. "The opening ceremony is in a few hours. We need to figure out what you're going to wear, all that." She takes my hand. "Come on, we'll go to the dressing station." She drags me out of the room.

We walk down a few hallways, and soon we are in a room with a divider in between. A large mirror is on each side. She thrusts me to one side. "Sit, sit," Savanie says. Her dark curls bounce with each step. I go over to a chair at the mirror.

Savanie smiles at me. She studies my face. "Yes, yes," she says. "I think dark colors…" She puts my long hair up in a ponytail with her hand. "Maybe a half-up, half-down thing…" She lets my hair go. "Of course, you need a shower first." She pushes me towards the bathroom.

"W-Wait!" I say. "You're not going to be, you know, in there with me, will you?" I ask. The last thing I want is to reveal my wings on the first day.

Savanie smiles. "Well, if you don't want me to, that's fine. But don't put that filthy dress back on," she says.

I sigh. Looks like more secrets will be spilled. I hurry into bathroom. I shut the door behind me. I slowly take off my dress. Looking in the mirror, I spread out my wings. I sigh, and walk into the shower, taking extra time to clean my feathers, getting all the dirt out of them.

When I am done, I stand under the dryer, letting my wings catch all the air. I smile, feeling warmth fill my feathers. I re-wet my hair in the sink, and look around for something, anything to cover myself. I smile as I spot a towel peeking out of a cabinet. I pull it out. I tuck my wings in, and wrap the towel so that it covers my wings.

I step out of the bathroom. Savanie is standing outside, her arms crossed. She smiles as she sees me. "Excellent! Oh, you look so much better!" She pulls me over to a stand. She gestures for me to stand on it. "Arms out!" she says.

I tuck the towel into itself so it'll stay, and stick my arms out. She measures me. I wait patiently. Savanie smiles as she finishes. "Excellent! I know exactly what you'll be wearing." She hands her measurements, which she wrote down, to an assistant. She whispers something to her. The assistant scurries off.

Savanie helps me down from the stand, and we head back to the chair in front of the mirror. Savanie begins doing all sorts of things with my hair, finally settling on a braided, twirling bun on the back of my head. She smiles. "Perfect!" she chirps.

At that point, Savanie's assistant comes back in. She carries a dark, midnight blue dress. It sparkles in the night. I notice how tight it looks. Not good for large bird wings.

Savanie's assistant scurries back out, and I'm left with Savanie gesturing for me to come back to the stand. I stand up. "Take off the towel so we can get you dressed." I sigh, and pull off the towel. As I'm left standing naked in the dressing area, my feathers expand out. They were held in by the towel, but with that gone, they show clear as day.

Savanie frowns, noticing them. "What the…," she mumbles, and moves to my back. "Max…" Her voice is questioning as she sees the folded-in wings. She touches one. "What is this?" she asks me.

I let my wings expand entirely. All fourteen feet of them. Savanie gasps. "Oh my God," she whispers. I turn to face her. My eyes plead with her. "Please don't tell anybody," I beg her. "I didn't even want this. They just entered me because I wanted to be normal." Savanie nods. She's too surprised to do anything else. She looks at the dress. "Why don't you try to get into this?" She hands me underclothes, and I climb into them, then pull the dress on. It's incredibly tight, especially around my chest and wings. I wiggle.

Savanie eyeballs me. "How is it?" she says. "Is it squishing your…" She doesn't continue, because she hears Bradley's dressing team on the other side. I nod. "It's fine," I whisper. Savanie nods back, and looks me over. "Well, there's a first thing for everything in every Hunger Game."


	4. AN: So

**Hey guys! So sorry I haven't been working. I've been pretty busy.**

**Anyways, if you guys have ideas for tributes, post their information in this format in a review. (: Unless I get enough tributes, I will be making some of my own up. Like, of course, I've got Max and the other District 2 tribute.**

_Update 8/3/10: I just need a few more characters! One of my friends is helping me figure it out, but I'd love it if one of my fabulous readers could help me out. And, yes, Amee is District 10 instead of 9, but that's because I already had a District 9, I just haven't had access to the computer, so I couldn't change it. I hope that's alright. If the author of the character could please mail me if it's a problem, that'd be dandy, and we can work something out._

_**I hope to get another chapter to you guys by the 10**__**th**__** of August.**_

_**Thanks for all the awesome reviews!**_

_**Paishunya**_

**I've gotten quite a few of the tributes, with the help of my spectacular friend, Rai.**

**Name:**

**Age:**

**District:**

**Appearance (be descriptive!):**

**Personality (not just adjectives):**

**History:**

**Family:**

**Friends:**

**Weapon of Choice:**

**Other Weapons:**

**Strengths:**

**Weaknesses:**

**Token:**

**Reaction at the Reaping:**

**Volunteer or Chosen (if they volunteered who for?):**

**Can I put them in an alliance? and if so who with?**

**Can I put them in a romance? Who with?**

**Reaping Outfit (pictures greatly appreciated, and this goes for all the outfits);**

**Chariot Outfit (optional):**

**Interview Outfit (optional):**

**Interview Quote:**

**Interview Angle:**

**Training Room Strategy:**

**Games Strategy:**

**At what time in the Games would you mind them dying? (Not everyone can win)**

**Arena Ideas:**

**District 1-**

**F-Lisette Mortmain**

**M-Cecil Forsythe**

**District 2 –**

**F- Maximum Lisadeen**

**M- Bradley Referrum**

**District 3 –**

**F- Genesis Arnecorr**

**M- Kaelen Etheridge**

**District 4 –**

**F- Katlie Geln**

**M- Festhe Nupose**

**District 5–**

**F- Olivera Tenople**

M- Jesio DiFilippo

**District 6–**

**F- Isa Nyander 16**

**M- Nrad Bino 15**

**District 7–**

**F- Maylene Kondra 12**

**M- Su Konos 15**

**District 8–**

**F- Penne Cona 13**

**M- Hute Verda 16**

**District 9–**

**F- Taira Nari Rhapsodes**

**M-**

**District 10–**

**F- Amee Suprell**

**M-**

**District 11–**

**F-**

**M-**

**District 12–**

**F- Athalie Ohriman**

**M- Rueben Vane**

**District Professions-**

**District 1: Luxury items for the Capitol.**

**District 2: Medicine and Doctors.**

**District 3: Technology and Manufacturing.**

**District 4: Fishing.**

**District 5: Mathematics and Foreign Trade.**

**District 6: Scientists.**

**District 7: Lumber and Paper.**

**District 8: Textiles and fabrics.**

**District 9: Hunting.**

**District 10: Animal Herding.**

**District 11: Agriculture.**

**District 12: Coal mining.**


	5. Success

**A/N: Sorry it took so long! I am still looking for the last few characters!**

After Bradley and I were dressed, we were hurried out to the elevator. I looked over to Bradley. He was wearing a doctor's coat with a shirt underneath the same blue as my dress. I looked down at my dress, and realized, for the first time, it was a convoluted sort of nurse's outfit. _Great, _I thought. _Just how I want to look. Like the people that made my life miserable. _

The elevator seemed to descend as slowly as humanly possible. I stared straight ahead, hoping for all I had that my wings weren't showing at all. I didn't need Bradley questioning my anatomy. It was bad enough that Savanie had noticed.

When the elevator doors opened, a large area resembling a parking garage in structure and lighting awaited us. The other tributes were gathered around, chattering in their own sorts of cliques. I could pick out the Careers at a distance. I wondered if Bradley would join them. From what I'd heard in the rumors, he had been training for the Games for a while. Supposedly he'd had a sister who had played and died.

Bradley quickly walked off to go talk to some girl in an orange dress that moved of its own accord, resembling flames. I assumed she was from District Twelve. She was about my age, maybe a little older. Probably about sixteen. I directed my attention away from her, glancing around at the kids talking. No one was talking battle strategies.

I was beginning to wonder if I should try and sneak away before any of the Gamemakers or anyone decide to show up and escort us to our chariots, when a girl came up to me in a sort of camouflage suit. "Hello," she said. She crossed her arms, leaning on one foot. "This is so stupid. They put me in camouflage, and then douse me in makeup. I've never felt so girly, yet not girly, in my life."

I smiled at the girl's annoyance. I looked over her costume. Camouflage. Hunting. I point a finger at her. "You must be from District Nine," I said. I wondered what was making me so friendly to her. I didn't like meeting new people, mostly because most of the new people I'd met hadn't been exactly my kind of people. Most had been whitecoats and guards.

The girl nodded in confirmation. She still wore a frown on her face. I vaguely remembered her from various background showings on the tributes on the television. I hadn't paid much attention though, as much as my trainer, Selea Marls, advised it.

The girl held out her hand. "Taira Rhapsodes. District Nine." I gripped her hand gently, giving my best smile. I shouldn't be making friends. Whoever I talked to, I'd be expected to kill in the Games. "Maximum Lisadeen, District Two," I responded.

Taira nodded. "That's usually a Career District. You don't look like a Career," she said bluntly, motioning to my gangly built and what looked to be very thin, non-muscular arms. I shook my head. "I grew up… a bit separated." I didn't want to give my life story to Taira. I'd just met her.

Taira looked like she was about to say something, but then Gamemakers and organizers were beginning to escort us to our chariots. I spotted Selea Marls, only recognizing her from the pictures I'd seen of her. She smiled at me as I climbed into the midnight blue and white chariot pulled by two pure white horses. "Now, smile and sell it. We want sponsors!" she encouraged.

The opening theme starts playing, and then we're moving. The huge doors swing open, and then I'm blinded by light. I blink for a minute, getting adjusted to the light, and by the time the District Two chariot is moving out into the open, into the crowd-lined streets, I'm smiling and waving as best I can. In my mind, I wonder what the spectators think of me. Just another pawn in their sick Capitol game? Skinny and weak? I wish to let them know I am nothing like that, but it's not the time. They'll know in the Games.

The ride is a bit less than half an hour long, from my time judgment. We end in City Circle. We're greeted, and the anthem plays, then we're escorted into the Training Center. _Great,_ I think, _just another place for them to keep us captive until the games start._

When the doors close behind us, prep teams swarm. I hear my team's praise, at how beautiful I am, what a great job I did, how they need to prepare me for training. I just tell them that I just need something like a loose shirt, and pants, that I can move around in. They confirm that there is a sort of dress code for training, that they're talking about my makeup. My last thoughts as they escort me to the elevator, to my bedroom, and I shut them out of my room, is how I made such a big mistake, asking to be a normal girl.


	6. Interests

**A/N: Again, sorry it took so long. Been busy with schoolwork.**

**Here is the list of tributes and alliances. First number next to the name is the district. Second number is the age. Stars mean they were requested to be on their own. Underlined means their profiles are not done. If you're interested in helping me, send me a PM.**

**Maximum Lisadeen (15)(2) – Taira Rhapsodes (9)**

**Bradley Referrum (15)(2) – Lisette Mortmain (14)(1) – Cecil Forsythe (12)(1)**

**Genesis Arnecorr (3)**

**Kaelen Etheridge (3)***

**Festhe Nupose (15)(4) – Athalie Ohrman (12)(12)**

**Katlie Geln (14)(4)***

**Olivera Tenople (15)(5)**

**Jesio DeFilipo (17)(5) – Isa Nyander (16)(6)**

**Nrad Bino (15)(6) – Hute Verda (16)(8)**

**Maylene Kondra (12)(7)**

**Su Konos (15)(7) – Absalom Tures (15)(9)**

**Penne Cona (13)(8)**

**Amee Suprell (10)***

**Marelo Jut (13)(10)**

**Kanna Hura (13)(11)***

**Riley Whiten (15)(11) – Lexi Miller (14)(12)**

**Rueben Vane (16)(12)**

I headed to my room, Bradley's and my coordinator giving me the schedule for the day as I walked up the stairs. I shooed her away after she said when dinner was, and locked myself in my room. I wanted to go back. I didn't care what the scientists in Two did to me, I wanted my regular life back.

I tore off my dress, leaving it in a slightly torn, crumpled, glittery heap on the floor. I let my wings out, all fourteen feet of them. It felt good to not have them squished up in my back. I moved them up and down, hovering slightly for a moment, then pulling them in, dropping down. I had never flown more than that out in the open. I'd flown in wind tunnels, but that hardly counted.

I looked around the room, still not wearing anything. Then, she finally decided to go take a shower. The huge command panel frightened me, with over a hundred options for the shower, but I finally somewhat figured it out, getting cleaned up and washing all the traces of makeup and dirt off of me. I got my blonde hair all washed, and settled against the shower wall, my wings pulled in, before shutting off the water and standing on the mat while the hot water dried me off. I walked to the counter, noticing the box. I remembered hearing something about the boxes. I stuck my hand in, and watched as my hair was untangled and styled by a small current I felt coursing through me.

I headed to the bedroom, opening the drawers. I pulled out a pair of gray sweatpants and a plain white t-shirt, not really caring if my styling team, Savannie, or the coordinator had a conniption over my attire. Tucking my wings in against my back and pulling a loose-fitting hoodie over my head to hide the bulge, I got dressed. I then headed out my room and down the elevator to dinner.

Everyone else was already seated: our coordinator, Martia; our trainer, Ptolemy; both Bradley's and my styling teams and dressers. I sat down self-consciously while Martia rambled on about the importance of being on time to all events. I rolled my eyes, reaching for some sort of meat. I could feel Ptolemy's eyes on me. "That's goose," he told me, a slight snicker in his voice as I made a face. I'd never had more than the occasional crispy chicken.

I took a leg of the goose anyway, tentatively nibbling it and then realizing it wasn't half bad. I ate to my heart's content, receiving some disapproving glares from Martia. I ended up eating several rolls as well, and some sort of pudding I could not identify.

After dinner, Bradley and I were shooed toward the elevator, told to go to bed to get ready for training in the morning. I frowned, leaning against the back wall of the elevator with my arms crossed as the contraption rose. "What do you think about all this?" I asked quietly.

Bradley gave a slight shrug. "I'm going to win," he said quietly.

I kept my frown plastered to my face, sizing him up. "That's what everyone thinks," I said.

Bradley shook his head. "I'm going to," he said. He seemed to think whether he was going to tell me something or not. Then he looked solemn again. "My sister was in the Hunger Games. She lost." He shook his head. "I have been training all my life for this. I will not fail like she did." He fingered a necklace. "My sister made this. It's my token. I am not going to let her down."

We arrived on our floor, and Bradley murmured a farewell to me, quickly heading out of the elevator to his room. I couldn't speak for a moment. I couldn't believe he had just told me all that. I wondered if I could use it to my advantage. I shook my head. Without another word, I headed out of the elevator, walking to my room and collapsing on the bed, falling asleep.


	7. Planning

"The first thing you should know is this: we all die. There is no happy ending, there is no happily ever after. There is just this: we all die." Bradley's and my trainer, Selea Marls, was teaching us all the dynamics of the training as we headed down the elevator. Bradley and I were on opposite sides of the elevator, turned away from each other, our arms crossed. I heard Selea say something about how Bradley and I should be allies, that we'd be valuable to each other. 'Right,' I thought. 'I'm going to be allies with a boy very much determined to do what his sister did not.' I shook my head. "Selea, I don't think it's going to work out that way," I said bluntly.

Selea gave an audible sigh. "You need to try. It's valuable to have an ally."

I turned on Selea. "I already have an ally," I said angrily. I wasn't in the mood for Selea's lessons and jabbering.

Selea looked surprise. "Who?" she asked.

Crap. Now I was in trouble. I thought quickly. "That girl, what's her name-" I murmured. "Taira Rhapsodes," I said.

Selea tilted her head to the side, but didn't bother me again. "Fine, fine," she murmured, turning to Bradley. She began torturing the poor guy over getting himself an ally, someone who could help him, but he could take down if needed. I tuned her out for the rest of the long elevator ride down.

Once the elevator doors finally opened, I ran out of the doors gratefully, glad to be free of Selea. She gave a last call, unheard by my ears, about playing by our smarts. I hurried toward where Taira was. "Hey. I'm so glad to be out of that elevator," I muttered.

Taira nodded. "No joke. My trainer was yammering on and on this morning. Such a pain." She shook her head, looking to me. "Are you ready? We can go around together," she said. I nodded. "That'd be great." I glanced over at Bradley, who had gone over to talk to the District One tributes, whose names escaped me. "He's not going to be any help to me." I sensed Bradley staring at me, and pulled my wings in tightly against my back. I hoped no one had noticed how loosely I had been holding my wings, and just waited for the training to begin.

When training began, Taira and I headed directly to camouflage. I didn't want my wings out in the open. I needed some way to hide them. Of course, Taira didn't need to know that. I just told her I wanted to be able to hide. We headed there, and listened to the instructor as he explained what materials made for the best ways to hide certain parts of your body, what berries made for good ways to blend into fruitful trees, and various other things. I paid attention to him for once. Like Bradley, I was set on not dying. I was going to win, and prove everyone wrong. This was my time, and soon everyone would know the bird girl.

A/N: I won't be getting much writing done next month as I am participating in NaNoWriMo. If you want to follow me, my username's Roweira. This chapter was done as a practice for NaNoWriMo. I wrote this in 15 minutes. (:

After camouflage, Taira and I floated around. We went to archery, which I ended up getting a bullseye my third try. I was rather excited, and saw a couple Careers staring at me, watching and observing. I quickly grabbed Taira's hand and led her off, the both of us heading off to the hand-in-hand combat, where we spent almost the entirety of the rest of the time. After getting thrown on my butt a couple times by Taira and the male tribute from Five, I decided it'd be best if I didn't break my wings before the Games. Taira and I finished off the time by heading to the station about poisons and foods. I figured it would be valuable information for myself, for sure. I listened with interest, storing the information in my mind.

After it all, I was absolutely exhausted. My back was sore from combat, and my arms were sore from archery. I looked at Taira. She didn't seem all that sore. "How're you feeling about all this?" I asked. For the first time, I wondered why Taira attracted me so much. Something about her was just- kind. I sensed that I may have a hard time killing her. Hopefully someone else would get to her before me.

Taira thought about my question for a moment, rolling her shoulders. "Fine," she said simply. She glanced over at Bradley with the other Careers. "Those Careers are looking at you again." I followed her gaze, returning their stares. They looked away after a moment, walking toward the elevators. "They'll get over it," I said simply. I headed toward the other elevators with Taira. "Next is the testing thingy," I muttered to myself. Immediately, a plan came to my head. They'd know. I was stronger than they thought.


	8. Surprises

I woke up the next morning when I heard the door to my room slide open. I frowned without opening my eyes, and slowly sat up. A girl with blonde hair with a single blue streak stood by my bed. I eyed her, and recognized the servants' uniform. Avox, Selea called them.

"Is it time for the scoring?" I asked. The Avox girl nodded. She looked uncomfortable with the situation. I wondered if she was a Capitol girl. I blinked, and got up. The girl handed me a pair of black pants, a white shirt, and a blue jacket. I took the clothes, and went into the bathroom.

I slid the door shut behind me, so that I could change in peace. I took the shirt in my hands, and used my strength to make a long tear down the middle of the back. I smiled, and pulled off the clothes from yesterday. I quickly got dressed, and adjusted the shirt so that my wings were sticking out of the shirt, but folded tightly against my back. I pulled the jacket on, and walked back out of the bathroom.

The Avox girl was still standing there. I frowned. "You can go now, you know." I headed for the door. The girl followed me out the door. I thought she would follow me all the way to the elevators, but she left me alone, going down another hall. I walked toward the elevators.

Bradley joined me as soon as I pressed the button for the elevators. I could hear the mechanics whirring as the car quickly made its way up.

"Morning," Bradley said.

I glanced over at him as the elevator doors opened. "Hi," I murmured. I frowned, and walked into the elevator, leaning carefully against the wall of the elevator car. Bradley was staring me down. I frowned, watching him. "Yes?" I asked after a moment. I may not have been in society a whole lot, but I knew staring like that was creepy.

Bradley seemed to snap out of a trance, and shook his head, looking away. "Nothing," he murmured.

We came to the scoring level, and Bradley was immediately hustled toward the scoring room. I watched him carefully as he walked off, and shook my head, while I settled down against a wall.

Within ten minutes, Bradley came back out. A woman followed him out, looking around. "Maximum Lisadeen," she said. I frowned, slowly getting up and walking into the room.

There was a table of several judges. I saw the Head Gamemaker, and several other people. I noticed a table of food, where a few of the judges were milling around, but most of the judges seemed to be glued onto me. _That's right, District Two is a Career district._ They were expecting me to be amazing. I smiled slightly. I'd show them amazing.

The Head Gamemaster, Gaius Tiber, looked at me expectantly. "Start whenever you're ready," he said. "We can provide whatever supplies you need."

I crossed my arms. "I need a bow and arrow. And a dummy." The thought momentarily crossed my mind to just shoot them down and get out of there, but I figured that wouldn't work very well with endless squadrons of Capitol guards probably roaming the place.

A man brought me out a bow and arrow, and another man set a stuffed dummy on a pole. I smiled slightly, and once the two men were out of the way, I began to shrug off my jacket.

I was facing the judging table, so they could not see my wings folded tightly against my back. I held the bow tightly in my left hand, and I took an arrow out of the sheath. Then, I let my wings out in a quick snap.

The reaction on the judges' faces was absolutely priceless. Most of the jaws in the room dropped. A few had dropped whatever food they had been eating down their fronts. I smiled, and began to move my wings.

My wings were rather stiff from having not used them in a while. I went up toward the ceiling, and aimed the arrow at the dummy, and fired. The arrow went right through where the dummy's stomach would have been if it were a real person.

I tucked my wings in until they were barely out, and dove down, then quickly snapped them out again so I wouldn't kill myself hitting the floor. I landed lightly on the floor, and smiled. The judges were still staring at me as if I had just, well, flown. Gauis Tiber nodded, recomposing himself faster than the rest of the judges. "Thank you, Miss Lisadeen. You may go."


	9. Revenge?

I immediately headed up to the second floor, where my District's bedrooms and common rooms are. I went into my room and sat down on my bed. I stared down at the floor and tried to focus. What had I done? They'd see me as a freak. They'd do something. They'd dissect me. They'd give me such a high score I'd be targeted instantly. Or they'd give me such a low score I would never get sponsors, and starve to death. Or some torture would be awaiting me in the arena. I cannot imagine what they would do, but I'm a threat. I'm special. I stick out. I draw attention. People look at the ones that draw attention.

I change out of the clothes so that my wings will be hidden again, into jeans and a t-shirt that I find in the dresser. I didn't want to move, but I heard Selea start knocking on my door, insisting with a perky voice that I let her in so she can help me with my interview strategy. After a few minutes of listening to my silence, she finally left, to my relief, but only to give way for Savanie knocking on my door as well, wanting me to come have a look at the dress she'd gotten ready for my interview. I yelled at her to go away, that I'd be out later, and she left more promptly than Selea had. I was left alone to my thoughts.

Eventually, I decided to come out. It was mostly my own hunger, but also a need to go and show myself, that I was okay. I entered the dining room, and all eyes turned to me. Bradley was already sitting, and he only glanced at me for a second before he turned away. I frowned, and sat down in my own seat, away from him.

Dinner came out shortly, and we ate in silence. I kept my eyes down at the roasted duck I was eating. I thought it kind of ironic, that I, the bird girl, was eating bird. Eventually, the idea disturbed me too much, and I switched to filling myself with butter rolls. The television was on, playing some speech from President Snow. I frowned and shook my head. He mentioned that this was a Quarter Quell, about which I had no knowledge. I almost asked what that meant, but I figured that would raise questions on where I'd been during the last Hunger Games, why my parents had never told me. President Snow says that the Quarter Quell event is a secret, that it won't be found out until the Games start. I frowned and shook my head. Someone needed to teach that man some humility. I could see that he had almost all the adults at the table eating out of his hand like starving animals. My prep team's chatter reached my ears. I frowned and blocked them out.

The Panem anthem began to play, and I finally raised my gaze to the screen. The scores began to show, with the corresponding tribute's name, picture, and district. The boy from One got a seven. The girl got an eight, which surprises me since she is only twelve. Then, the District Two scores came in. I leaned in and watched intently. Bradley got a ten. I look at him in surprise. Then, my score. Also a ten. My jaw drops open. That's amazing. I may not have watched much of the games, but I at least know that ten is pretty darn good. Our prep teams, designers, and Selea all began congratulating us and patting us on the back. I was dumbstruck, while Bradley looked unemotional, with a hint of happiness. All I know is that I have to get rid of him.


	10. Close Ties

A/N: Soooo sorry for not writing. I thought I'd get at least a short little chapter out before I leave for the weekend. Hopefully have another on Sunday or Monday

**Andd, if any of y'all are Heroes fans, I have an idea for a fanfiction, taking place after Season 4. Hope you're ready for some serious Sylar secrets!**

"My gosh, child, do you have two left feet? Again."

Today we are being trained for the interview, another very important event in the Hunger Games. How I present myself will help decide just how many sponsors I get during the games, and whether I starve to death or not.

Bradley got to go with Selea and discuss battle tactics first, so I'm stuck with the man who pulled our names out of the bowls, Remus.

Remus has been walking me up and down the room, trying to get me used to the heels and how I'm supposed to walk, how I should smile, how to look at the interviewer. It's painfully slow, and definitely not something I'm used to. After an estimated fifty times of walking across the room, Remus deems me worthy of at least being able to walk across the stage and sit without incident, and he begins to debrief me on just how to act in the interview. Smile, answer the questions carefully, don't give too much away. It's all stuff I figured. But he does surprise me with one comment: "Don't show off your secret."

I freeze and my eyes widen. I can feel my pulse picking up even faster than usual. "What did you say?" I ask.

"I told you, keep a low profile on your secret. Nobody should be seeing those until the arena. Nobody should be seeing those for as late as possible, even then." I can't believe he knows. All I can think of is how he can possibly know. Finally, I just ask. "How on earth do you know?"

Remus smiles mischievously and shrugs. "I know more than you think, Max. It's an advantage of being close in with President Snow. Like, the reason he hasn't revealed what the event for the Quarter Quell is. What the arena will be like. I'm closer to President Snow than almost anyone."

This surprises me. From what I've seen on TV, Snow strikes me as one to keep everyone at a distance and only trust himself.

"I think you've done enough. Go talk to Selea."

He doesn't have to tell me twice. I jump up, taking off the heels, and hurry out of the room. I don't even cast a glance behind my shoulder as I hurry to the room in which I know Selea and Bradley will be.


	11. The Interview

A/N: Wow, I know I said I'd get another post in like, two weeks ago, but life's been busy. I have a big competition I'm going to in May, so I've been working on preparing for that, on top of saving up for an iPad and working on my research project.

That night was the interview night. Caesar Flickerman, an eccentric man who sported an entire outfit the color of a morning sky, including his hair, lips, and eyelids, was the epiphany of "Capitol citizen." Savanie had put me into a red dress with blue rhinestones along the hem, which dragged along the floor. My wings were safely covered, since the dress covered my back all the way to the nape of my neck and my prep team had left my hair down. Ever since the incident with Savanie, she'd been careful to help me keep my secret concealed.

Being in District Two had its perks. We would go right after District One. As Bradley and I waited backstage, Selea was still excitedly coaching us. Eventually, just before airtime, she left us alone.

"Somehow the idea of the entire population of Panem training their eyes on us doesn't calm my nerves," I said.

Since Bradley and I had both gotten high scores on the testing, we were the talk of Panem.

It was not a great length of time before the little twelve-year-old boy from District One was walking off stage, and it was my term to go on stage. I took a deep breath, and walked out, waving and smiling at the audience. I sat down in the chair designated for the interviewee.

"So, Maximum Lisadeen."

"It's Max," I said quietly.

"Max," Caesar corrected. "What does your family think about you being the female tribute for District Two?"

I knew it was an innocent question, but it still made me nervous, like the whitecoats were trying to make me slip up. I brushed a strand of hair back and smiled. "They're excited. A bit nervous, but excited."

"And what is your family like?"

My mind was racing as I had to come up with a reply. I kept the stupid smile plastered on my face. "Well, I have my parents, and an older brother."

Flickerman nodded and looked out at the crowd. "So, tell us, how do you think you'll do in the arena? I understand you got a ten on your training. It looks like you have more of a punch packed in there than people believe."

I looked out at the audience and brushed a strand of hair out of my face. I then looked back at Flickerman. "Listen. Nobody knows anything about me, and they can't expect to learn any more."

Flickerman nodded and smiled. "Sounds like you'll be an interesting competitor in the arena. I hope we see you again soon." He looked around the crowd with his blue lips in a bright smile. I wondered, if he were to suffocate or choke, would anyone notice? "Why don't we give Ms. Lisadeen a last round of applause?" The crowd complied and gave a loud round of applause, and a few cheers sounded as I stood and exited the stage.

As I walked to backstage, Bradley was entering on stage, receiving another round of applause. Selea greeted me as soon as I came backstage. I smiled and nodded at her encouragement. "You were great. The crowd is eating out of your hand. All of Panem will love you! Your family must be proud." I nodded quietly and sighed. Of course. My _family._ Closest thing to a _family_ were those whitecoats.

I decided it'd be best to listen to Bradley, since he'd openly told me he was going to win. I needed to know all I could about him so I would have the best chance against him.

"I understand your sister was killed in the seventieth Hunger Games, is that right, Bradley?" I could hear Flickerman's encouraging voice.

"Yes, that's right. She's the reason I wanted this."

It continued along like that, going along the lines of how he was determined to win at all costs. Bradley soon returned, with a sly smile on his face. He glanced over at me and gave a wink. I frowned and watched him walk to the other side of Selea.

We had to wait for the other tributes to go through. The Careers were confident and cocky, even the young ones. I remind myself to watch for the ones who give the appearance of being more confident than they should. The confident ones are the ones who are determined not to miss.

When Taira, my friend from District 9, came on, I listened carefully. The girl sat down. She wore a pretty light blue dress. She matched Flickerman. She was rather sly-sounding, mysterious. She didn't give too much away. At the end, she smiled. Flickerman had just asked, "What will you do when you're in the arena?"

"Why look death in the face in such a calm manner? Once you've been there and back. Death is a comforting friend and only is suffering your enemy... I have no love for those who ignore suffering." She got up and walked backstage without waiting for applause or dismissal.


End file.
